Beer: Reviews & Ratings

deep dark hazelnut brown. Almost completly opaque save for a few hints of light that were wondering around on the side of the glass, giving it some tiny little hints of a reddish hue,

chocolate of all things. Very welcome and very suprising to say the least. A nice rich milk chocolate sweetness was coming through and really sweetining it up. There was then some hints of caramel malts in the back coming up and really letting you know this was a sweet little brown ale. Lots of sweet notes not coming through as well, sugary caramel and some light chcocolate notes are predominant here, with a nice touch of earthy grains making up the backround very nicely. Somel ight hints of wood and vanilla come through as it warms up and really deepen the profile, (758 characters)

Lovelly looking ale, a nice dark brown with a fantastiuc thick and frothy tan head.
Good malty /nutty aromas, faint scent of chocoalte and some whiffs of hop.
Smooth and malty flavours dominate but after a while hazelnut and a slight fruitiness appear and a small hop "kick" at the end.
Very nice indeed on the palate, very smooth and satisfying.
A good rendition of this style and very drinkable. A recommended brown ale. (426 characters)

The appearnce of this brew was very inviting...a nice chocolate amber incolor, it formed a nice head that lasted. Lacing is very good also. As the style suggests, the smell has a malty presence with some fruity/nutty qualities. There is a malt sweetness, but it is not overpowering and quite pleasant. Mouthfeel is light with a faint tartness in the finish. Very easy on the drinkability scale...can easily drink more than one. This could be a good session beer. A nice surprise. (479 characters)

The Kodiak Brown came into the glass in a mean clear dark brown color with a sudsy 1-2 finger foam head and some tight bubble formation. Good looking brown.

The aroma was malty, caramel and nuts. The taste was real good and had a nice sweetness to it. It had a real creaminess to it and gave a good nutty finish. It had low to moderate carbonation and was a real enjoyable brown ale. (384 characters)

a deep reddish brown, with a thin cream colored head. smell has somekind of nut to it, though i can't place it. the taste is very carbonaited, and has the same wlanut(maybe) flavour, and a breif mildly hoppy finish. a pretty good brew. however if you were to ask my girlfriend she would tell you it's hands down the best american brown ever. if you see it check it out (368 characters)

Dark reddish-brown with a medium head that settles to a nice lace. The aroma quickly brings chocolate, maybe a little coffee. First taste delivers what the nose expected, with nutty highlights plus a certain licorice flavor at the back of the mouth. It is a little thin, highly carbonated, and I got some tangy notes at times. Pretty good but not up there with the very best of this variety. (391 characters)

Bomber from K&L Redwood City. Hell yeah, Midnight Sun in the Bay Area! This one is a little underrated IMO, as I thought it was just excellent for the style.

The appearance is really phenomenal. The beer pours a clear, deep, dark mahogany brown color with a one-finger light tan head that lasts and leaves great lace.

The aroma is extremely nutty, about as nutty as I've ever experienced. Chocolate and roast come through to a lesser extent.

Flavor is excellent with roasted nuts - almond, pecan, cashew, and Brazil nut - as well as a hint of milk chocolate and caramel. Not very sweet at all.

The palate is very dry with medium-body and a long finish.

Overall, this is great for the style. It's not quite on par with some of the brown ales that Cigar City does, but it's better than probably 90% of the brown ales I've had. Midnight Sun does it again. (857 characters)

This is a good brown ale. Had it from bottle and brewery tap. Only downside of the beer is the level of sweetness. Most brown ales these days are not on the dry side and this one is now exception. Kodiak has a distinct malt characteristic compared to some of the other local brown ales which sets it apart. Pretty good. (324 characters)

This beer is a nice brown with a creamy head that quickly settles down to a thin, yet dense, layer in my glass. It smells of toasted malt and nuts. No hop aroma, but I wasn't expecting any considering the style.

This taste is quite creamy and nutty. There is hardly any bitterness in this beer. Instead it's sweet but not cloying. The flavor is quite good.

The body is smooth and has a decent weight to it, if that makes sense. This isn't as heavy as a stout but it's not light, either.

This is a good brown ale. In fact, it's one of the best I've had in a while. (572 characters)

Pours dark brown with a huge, light tan head. The smell is roasted malt with some caramel as well. Not much of an aroma. The flavor is malty sweetness with some nuttyness mixed in. The finish is where the hop bitterness comes in. The beer is highly carbonated and very drinkable. I really like English Brown Ales and this is one of the better ones I have tried. (361 characters)

Pours a fizzy slight fluffy 1/2 finger slightly darker colored head that fades at a med to slower pace with some decent lacing, over semi clear semi hazy mahogany toasty brown with a touch of a cranberry colored hue.

Taste starts with malt, brown malts and plenty of them, a nice toasty brown malt, tons of caramel, toffee, syrupy flavors, brown sugar and molasses out the wazoo, and some nutty malts, like toffee with nuts around them. Smooth and rich, with a little syrupy flavor, fairly sweet but not too sweet. On the back end is some hops, bringing a decent bitterness with a light earthy and herbal hop, little biscuit like malt brings a nice toasty brown malty caramel candy cookie like flavor. Quite nice. Finish lingers with a bit more bitterness, coats the mouth with caramel and toffee, brown sugar, caramelized toffee, etc, and just a bit of earthy hops, and mostly dry without being too syrupy.

mouth is med to fuller bodied, a bit rich, just a bit syrupy, good carb.

overall I'm digging it quite a bit. Lots of great brown malt flavors, syrupy additions, sweeteners, etc. With just a bit of hops and bitterness to balance, nice full bodied without being too syrupy. Quite tasty, it's like a dessert for me. i quite enjoyed it and wish I could get this regularly. (1,546 characters)

Healthy off-white head over a dark brown beer. Nice sticky lacing, too.Malty aroma with some raisins and sugar but no hop smells.Good flavors of roast malts, dark fruit, and quite a bit of residual sweetness. Tiny bit of hops to balance.

Good body and aftertaste but really low carbonation.I find this to be very drinkable. Listed on the bottle at 5.0% ABV and could be a session beer. Reminds me a lot of Midnight Sun's Scottish Ale (Full Curl). (451 characters)

Deep reddish brown, almost black, it has a medium tan head that soon thins to a foamy ring.

Aroma is caramelised toasted barley, some dark bread, hints of wine, coffee/mocha, dark fruit. It's gentle but very nice and has some good complexity.

Taste ts as above, gentle and restrained but very well-balanced with firm character and a little complexity. It has faint hints of licorice and ginger bread, some caramelised brown bread, prune hints, dry toasted crust and light earthy-woodiness. It is lightly on the sweetish side before a dryer finish. (606 characters)

A- Almost black in this dimly lit room, but when held to the light, a perfectly clear, mahogany color with a couple fingers of head that lasts very well. Minimal lacing.

S- Toffee, toasted almonds, a bit of caramel, and some slight piney hops in the background. Probably the best smelling brown ale I've experienced yet.

T- Almost porter-like at first, with up-front dark malt, lots of nuttiness, a bit of dark roasted grain, and a slightly metallic finish. The pine in the hops balance decently, but the roastiness is the predominant finish.

I had it from the can and poured one into a pint glass and the other into a mug.Both pretty much had the same appearance of a hazy brown color with a one finger white to off white foamy head that glistened in the light. As the head died off, a nice spotty lacing weaves itself around the glass.The smell had a big bready nutty malty boldness. Big and superb.The taste pretty much copied the smell and had a slight roast to add into the previously mentioned flavors to carry over into the aftertaste. A light dry roasty finish.The mouthfeel was about a medium on the body with a nice light roasty nuttiness rolling over my tongue. Creamy carbonation follows.Overall, yes, big win here or at least to me. This is a stellar brown ale! Way to go Midnight Sun. (760 characters)

Taste is of toasted caramel and breads with inlays of peanuts and very light coffeeish hints. A bit of sweetness interludes the front and middle with a bit of red apple and malt laden starchyness. Light dry finish is kept well with very interesting little nuances of brown sugar, maple, and airy toasted stuff. Nice subtle play between the sweeter caramel and airy toastyness.

Feel is about medium with a solid carbonation for a brown. Nice airy frothyness and malty creamyness to it. Finish is great. Airy, dry, complexingly subtle, and fun to behold.

A pretty good brown. I'd have more if I had it. But alas it was a gift from a friend who recently visited AK and brought me back a small supply of local AK brews. Thanks much J! (969 characters)

Wow, after reading other peoples ratings for this I am surprised. This beer was hand delivered fresh from Alaska, and it kicks ass. The most solid Brown Ale I have ever tried. A healthy dose of roasted malt makes this a full bodied brown ale. I love this stuff. Hands down my favorite Brown to date. (299 characters)

This beer is great! Deep Brown colour with a thick little head. Aroma is nutty. The bear on the bottle looks intimidating, wonder if thats the same one who has been disturbing the dumber at work. This first gulp gives me a healthy helping of malt. Don't noticed the hops which I think is a good thing. They stop the sweetness before it gets out of hand. Light mouthfeel but I wouldn't want it any other way. Why haven't I drinking this all summer long. (452 characters)

Picked up from the brewery on my girlfriends recent trip to Alaska. No other freshness dating.

A= Pours a nice brown color that appears a black in the thickest parts of the glass with a nice half finger of slightly tan head on top that holds some decent retention and lacing on the glass.

S= For a style I find usually pretty boring this smells nice. It has a nice toasty caramel malt aroma that I usually think of when I think brown ale. It goes beyond that basic sweetness however. It has hints of roasted malt and chocolaty malt that sort of makes whisps in the aroma. It isn't enough to call it a porter or stout but it's enough to be different.

T= The taste is no different. It is classic brown ale with the sweetness and doughy character from the caramel malts with beautiful whisps of roast. I think I actually may be able to take away a little hop bitterness from it as well unless it's just roasty malt character. A small step out of the box from a traditional brown ale without being a totally different style.

M= This is maybe a little too "smooth" for me in the mouth. It actually feels a little watery. I don't expect too much weight from the style but this is a little weak. The flavor is nice and long though with a lasting finish.

O= This is an impressive brown I would say. Likely even the best I've ever had. It keeps you interested without being something out of style. Worth checking out and if you can find it drinking often on a fall or spring day. (1,475 characters)

The bottle that my father brought back for me from Alaska said "nut brown ale" on it I swear. I took notes, but don't have the bottle. I did write down that it was a "nut brown" though this site doesn't show that. Anyway, here is the review. . .

Brown in color with light beige head. Sweet malt nose in the smooth sense of sweet. Very nice nose. Fresh and smooth attack. Clean malt flavor with hints of caramel. The nust presents itself in the finish and is more pronounced in the aftertaste. Very smooth beer. High quality beer that is well crafted. Just a slight touch of hops is detectable, but the balance is wonderful.

One of my favorite beers, I hope it shows on my "rankings" as such. (693 characters)

Don't be fooled by the BA score, this beer is better than good. Pours brown but with enough light it looks slightly burgundy. The taste is balanced with just enough hops and wheat to where it's smooth and not overpowering. I typically prefer porters and stouts but this beer blew me away. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great beer. (343 characters)